A recent edge rusher ranking from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler put a spotlight on something the Steelers can’t really dodge: Pittsburgh’s pass rush hasn’t looked like the force it once was.
T.J. Watt still landed inside the top 10, coming in at No. 7, but the bigger jolt was above him.
Two Houston Texans teammates cracked the list, with Will Anderson Jr. at No. 3 and Danielle Hunter at No. 6.
They were the only pair of teammates to show up in Fowler’s poll, and that says plenty about how dangerous Houston’s front was in 2025.
That Texans duo piled up 27 sacks in 2025, seven more than Nick Herbig and Watt combined. Their pressure helped push Houston to the Divisional Round, and it also helped end Pittsburgh’s season in the AFC postseason bracket. The Texans added five quarterback hits and a game-ending fumble to slam the door on the Steelers.
Pittsburgh’s front office has already responded by locking up Herbig on a four-year, $100 million extension, a move that keeps another disruptive piece in place for the long haul. But the larger issue remains in front of the Steelers: when do their edge rushers start looking like a true problem again?
Watt is still the headliner, and when he’s healthy, he remains one of the league’s most feared defenders. In 2022, he put together a monster season with 22.5 sacks in 15 games, matching the NFL single-season sack record while also leading the league in tackles for loss with 21 and quarterback hits with 39. That run earned him Defensive Player of the Year.
Since then, though, the wear and tear has shown up. Watt has dealt with torn pectoral muscles, MCL sprains, a collapsed lung, and other minor injuries. Last season, he finished with seven sacks in 14 games and missed more time than he had since 2022.
That’s why the Steelers can’t expect one player to carry the whole load.
Alex Highsmith and Herbig have to be part of the answer, too. In 2025, both finished with more than seven sacks and came through in key moments. Herbig’s seven forced fumbles over the last two seasons stand out, even if he still hasn’t gotten the full credit that production deserves.
The Texans may have earned the headlines in Fowler’s rankings, but Pittsburgh has the pieces to get back into that conversation. With Watt, Highsmith, and Herbig all in the mix, the Steelers have enough firepower to make life miserable for quarterbacks again. If that happens, it should show up in the rankings next year - and on the scoreboard, too.
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Rudolphs place in the group naturally invites a little reading between the lines, because the backup job is one of the more closely watched spots on the roster. The photos do not settle anything on their own, and the Steelers have made no official call, but the social snapshot is enough to keep the competition in view as camp approaches. [Read more 🡒]